Natural yoghurt: more than flavour of the month

Friday, January 15th, 2016 - Roy Morgan Research

Just ask Justin Bieber: one minute, you’re flavour of the month, the next, you’re on the downward slide, a casualty of the public’s changing tastes — which is precisely what seems to be happening with yoghurt in Australia, the latest findings from Roy Morgan Research reveal. Over the last few years, flavoured/fruit yoghurt has been gradually losing popularity, as an increasing number of Australians turn to natural/plain yoghurt instead.

In the 12 months to September 2015, 48% of Australians 14+ reported eating flavoured/fruit yoghurt in an average four weeks, down from 52% back in September 2011. Over the same period, the proportion eating natural/plain yoghurt surged from 36% to 43%, closing the gap on its historically more popular flavoured equivalent.

Natural yoghurt’s newfound popularity appears to be an equal-opportunity phenomenon, with ever-increasing numbers of men and women enjoying it. Between October 2010 and September 2015, the proportion of Australian men who ate natural yoghurt in an average four weeks grew from 30% to 36%, while the proportion of women eating it rose from 41% to 49%.

Flavoured vs plain yoghurt: 2011 vs 2015

While natural/plain yoghurt consumption grew among all age groups except young men aged under-25, the most dramatic increases occurred among men and women aged between 25 and 34 years, followed closely by the 65+ age bracket.

The frequency with which Australians eat natural/plain yoghurt has also risen over the last few years. Some 23% of natural-yoghurt eaters consume it on a daily basis (up from 17% in 2011) – almost the same proportion as fruit/flavoured yoghurt eaters who eat theirs every day (25%). Weekly consumption has grown from 29% to 30% over the same timeframe, just short of flavoured yoghurt (34%)

Michele Levine – CEO, Roy Morgan Research, says:

“While a greater proportion of Australians still eat fruit/flavoured yoghurt than natural, the gap is closing. This increased tendency towards natural/plain yoghurt may well be the result of the public becoming more aware of the hidden sugars in so many flavoured yoghurts, or part of a broader move towards more ‘natural’ foods. It is certainly noteworthy that Aussies who eat natural yoghurt every day are nearly 50% more likely than the average Australian to agree that ‘I try to buy organic food whenever I can’.

“It is also interesting to see that daily consumers of natural yoghurt are twice as likely as the average Australian to eat all, or almost all, vegetarian food, suggesting that there is a conscious thought process behind their decision. When we consider the elevated proportion of daily natural-yoghurt eaters who fall into Roy Morgan’s more gourmet-inclined Food Segments such as Entertainers, Trendsetters and House Proud, it becomes even more apparent that they have specific ideas about the kind of food they’re willing to eat.

“It is essential for dairy brands with a flavoured yoghurt range to stay abreast of shifting attitudes and behaviour among Australian consumers, and adjust their marketing communications and brand image accordingly.”

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Roy Morgan Research is Australia's best known and longest established market research and public opinion survey company. Roy Morgan Single Source is thorough, accurate, and provides comprehensive, directly applicable information about current and future customers. It is unique in that it directs all the questions to each individual from a base survey sample of around 55,000 interviews in Australia and 15,000 interviews in New Zealand annually - the largest Single Source databases in the world. The questions asked relate to lifestyle and attitudes, media consumption habits (including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinema, catalogues, pay TV and the Internet), brand and product usage, purchase intentions, retail visitations, service provider preferences, financial information and recreation and leisure activities. This lead product is supported by a nationally networked, consultancy-orientated market research capability.Samantha Wilson P: (03) 9224 5268W:www.roymorgan.com